Pakistan vs New Zealand Colombo weather Highlights: Rain plays spoilsport; match gets abandoned

Rain had the final say in the opening Super 8 clash. The game has been abandoned with no result. Both teams will share one point each.

However, the action rolls on again tomorrow with a cracking double-header.

England vs Sri Lanka at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and then it’s a blockbuster as India take on South Africa at Narendra Modi Stadium.

The rain simply refuses to relent at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, with steady showers continuing to keep players indoors and fans waiting. There are still no signs of improvement in the weather, and concerns are growing about the possibility of a washout.

We have crossed the cut-off time that guarantees a full 20-over contest, meaning overs have officially begun to be trimmed. Even so, hope remains that at least a five-overs-a-side contest can be squeezed in.

If persistent rain ultimately forces this Pakistan vs New Zealand clash to be abandoned, the outcome may quietly favour England and Sri Lanka in the Super 8 standings.

A shared point between Pakistan and New Zealand would keep the group table tightly packed, giving both England and Sri Lanka a golden opportunity to seize control.

With a victory in their upcoming fixture, either side could surge to the top of the group and strengthen their semifinal chances.

The rain is steady and currently looks unstoppable. The overs will start reducing from 8:10 PM.

The official cut-off time for a five-over match to begin is 10:16 PMwhich still feels some distance away right now. However, that window can disappear surprisingly fast during a rain delay, especially as we continue to wait for the next update from the ground staff.

Rain continues to pour steadily over the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, refusing to ease and forcing an extended delay in the much-anticipated Pakistan vs New Zealand Super 8 clash.

The covers remain firmly in place as puddles build up on parts of the outfield, with ground staff on standby but unable to begin full drying operations due to the ongoing drizzle. The chances of a shortened contest are increasing by the minute. Officials are conducting periodic inspections, but unless there is a significant break in the weather soon, the match schedule could face serious disruption.

And expectedly, we have a delayed start in Colombo. For the unversed, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has won the toss and opted to bat first against New Zealand.

There is no delay in the toss for the game as Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner walk out for the toss. The Kiwi skipper looks upwards in the sky. It’s drizzling during the toss. Pakistan win the toss and opt to bat.

Matt Henry and James Neesham are on the field and are marking their run-ups. Pakistan new ball bowlers Faheem Ashraf and Salman Mirza are also going with their business. Its heavily overcast in Colombo.

We are just an hour away from the toss and more dark clouds are above the Premadasa. It has gotten darker in the past hour. Although there has been no rain so far, but it had rained hard the previous day. Due to rain, Pakistan had to cancel their training on the match eve.

There is a strong possibility that today’s Pakistan vs New Zealand game might be a washout. In case of a rain washout, both Pakistan and New Zealand will get a point each as there are no reserve days for matches in the Super 8 stage. In that case, a point each will dent semifinal chances for both Pakistan and New Zealand. The top two teams from each of the two Super 8 groups will advance to the last four stage. The match officials will have an additional 90 minutes to force a result. But even if a five-over contest not possible, it will be huge blow for both sides.

Although its not raining at the moment in Colombo, but dark clouds hover above the R Premadasa Stadium. The New Zealand players have already arrived at the stadium .

Pakistan have benched pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi in their final game against Netherlands. Salman Mirza played in place of Afridi against the Dutch. Will Pakistan bring back Shaheen today? Also eyes will be on Babar Azam too.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Babar Azam, Usman Khan (wk), Khawaja Nafay, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq

Pakistan have a slight 24-23 head-to-head edge over New Zealand in the shortest format of the game. Two games ended in no result. In T20 World Cups, Pakistan hold a 5-2 edge over the Kiwis. The last time Pakistan defeated New Zealand in a T20 World Cup was in the 2022 edition when the Men in Green won in the semifinal.

Both New Zealand and Pakistan are coming into the game after having finished second in their group stages. While Pakistan’ sonly loss came against India in the group stages, New Zealand lost to South Africa in group D. Both teams have win three out of their four games so far.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the Pakistan vs New Zealand clash in the first match of the Super 8 in the T20 World Cup 2026.